EAST PROVIDENCE — All involved should know within the next few days how East Providence schools plan to make up a week’s worth-plus of days lost to snow in recent weeks, according to remarks made by Superintendent Kim Mercer at the School Committee meeting held Tuesday night, March 10, at City Hall.
Mrs. Mercer told the Committee and those in attendance the East Providence Education Association, the union of city teachers, plans to vote on a make-up proposal at a special meeting set for members on Thursday afternoon, March 12.
The superintendent, union officials and administrators apparently have settled on two possibilities.
One would see time in some form added to school days. Mrs. Mercer said the plan would be to tack on a half hour to the end of the day or 15 minutes to both the start and close of the day. To do so, however, the union must first agree to the proposal then state officials would also have to sign off on the plan.
The second option would be for schools to remain open through June 30. As of Tuesday’s meeting, East Providence classes are scheduled to remain in session until at least Monday, June 22.
Mrs. Mercer reminded the Committee the system is six days in arrears due to the incessant and ill-timed snow that hit the area over the last six weeks, seemingly occurring every Monday of the month of February.
Concurrently, the superintendent, with the Committee’s backing, is seeking a waiver from the state for two of the lost days, which would leave East Providence with a more manageable four to make up. Mrs. Mercer told the Committee she is preparing contingency plans to make up four, five or six days depending on the outcome of the vote and the state’s decision.
Two other options were looked at briefly, but discarded. Mrs. Mercer said the thought of canceling April vacation was considered, though significant numbers of families have already made plans for the time off and would be unjustifiably harmed financially. Likewise, the thought of opening schools on Saturday would be too costly to the district in terms of extra pay and would preclude many high school students from working on the weekend.
So while the teachers consider changes to the current school year, they’ll also be voting on the proposed calendar for the 2015-16 term.
Through collective bargaining, East Providence schools cannot open before Labor Day each year. Mrs. Mercer, with this winter in mind, is seeking to change that, and needs the union’s help. She’s asking membership to allow the upcoming school year to start on August 31. If not, then classes wouldn’t begin until September 10, leaving open the chance for winter weather to cause havoc with the schedule next year as well.